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Lahore Qalandars owner, Sameen Rana, has hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for poorly treatmenting fast bowler Haris Rauf. The Pakistani speedster was excluded from PCB's central contracts ahead of the 2024 season of the Pakistan Super League. Rauf, who hasn't been a regular for Pakistan's red-ball side, didn't make himself available for the Test tour in Australia.
This decision proved costly for Rauf as the PCB terminated his contract and banned him from playing in T20 leagues until June. Things then got worse for the 30-year-old fast bowler as he suffered a shoulder injury and was ruled out of the ongoing PSL. Addressing this turn of events, Sameen Rana called out Pakistan Cricket and deemed the termination of his contract as unnecessary.
The timing was really bad: Rana on Rauf's contract termination
Speaking to Cricinfo, Rana said, “The timing of that announcement was wholly unnecessary. There was no Pakistan series coming up, or any emergency situation that necessitated the announcement two days before the PSL. Whatever the logic was, the timing was really bad. It was a huge blow psychologically for him because his whole life’s main aim is playing for Pakistan."
It was pathetic: Sameen Rana
Sameen Rana further called Rauf's treatment pathetic and called out PCB for their poor management, He said, “Rauf’s our premier bowler, our highest wicket-taker after Shaheen Afridi. To publicly humiliate him and issue a press release announcing the termination of his central contract, I have never seen this happen anywhere. I would never treat my employees like that. The employee at least has the right for you to call, email or message them. None of that happened with Rauf, and it was pathetic. It was really poor management,” he continued.
